Phones are necessary for our day-to-day work. But, the price of the phones and the high monthly service charge do not allow many people to purchase it.
But, if you live in Florida, you can get a free government phone Florida. Today, I will tell you what the top providers offer in this state.
Florida is a large state, and several youths come to this state every year. Thus, this state has a large number of unemployed people. On top of that, with the pandemic, the number of unemployed people is increasing at an alarming rate.
But, government free phones can help youth get jobs, education, and other activities. Any qualified person can get free phones and free monthly services.
What Is Lifeline Program
The Lifeline Program is a federal assistance program that was launched in 1985 by the Federal Communications Commission. It was started with the purpose of offering low-income Americans a method of affordable telephone service.
The program has been expanded and changed several times, including by President George W. Bush in 2005, when he expanded it to include smartphones.
The programs provide free phones with new services from participant carriers. Notice the keyword ‘participant carriers’, which means you won’t get free from any carriers; rather will receive a considerable discount. You need to be eligible to get a free phone, and the eligibility prerequisites differ from state to state.
How can I get a free government phone Florida?
If you want a free government cell phone Florida, you need to meet a few prerequisites. Two ways you can qualify for the lifeline program. One is through your participation in other assistance programs, and the other is through your income base.
Program-Based Eligibility: You are automatically qualified for the program if you or a member of your household is currently participating in a federal assistance program. Here are the few qualifying programs –
- Medicaid
- Food Stamps/ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Veterans Pension and Survivor’s Benefit
- Section 8/ Federal Public Housing Assistance
- Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance (BIA)
- Tribal Head Start (only those households meeting its income qualifying standard)
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
If you are from a different state, the list of programs may increase or decrease. Florida residents can qualify if they participate in any of these programs.
Income-Based Eligibility: Besides participating in a program, you can apply if your household income is below 135% of federal government guidelines.
If you are an individual, the eligible income limit is $17,388 annually. Then, for each new member added, the max limit will increase by $6,129.
So, the more people you have in your family, the easier your qualifications will be.
How to apply for free phones in Florida
Just by qualifying, you won’t be able to get a free government phone Florida iPhone. You need to apply for the program.
As you may know, the government directly doesn’t distribute free phones. It funds several participant carriers, and the carrier offers free phone and free monthly internet service, along with their prepaid plans.
From your chosen carrier’s website, you get an application and need to fill it with the necessary information. Here is the information you’ll need –
Personal Information
Visit the carrier’s website you want to get a free phone from, and click on the ‘Apply Now’ button. You will get a form, which you can also download.
Then, fill the form with your personal information, such as your first name, last name, date of birth, last four digits of your Social Security Number, current address, email address, etc.
Be sure to provide the correct information, as the providers are pretty strict regarding free government phones.
Besides, you need to provide proof documents depending on how you qualify.
Documents You Need For Income-Based Eligibility
If you are qualified because of your low income, check the ‘Income Base Eligibility’ box. Then you need to enter the number of family members in your family and check the amount nearest to your annual income. Include your last three months’ income statements, like –
- Pay stubs.
- Veterans Benefits Statements.
- Unemployment Benefits statement.
- SS Benefits.
- Retirement or Pension statements.
Program-Based Eligibility
If you are eligible through participating in another government assistance program, check the ‘Program-Based Eligibility’ box.
Also, select the program you are receiving assistance from. Lastly, you need to provide proof of participation in that program. Include one of these:
- Photocopy of your Benefits ID Card.
- Statement of your benefits for the current or previous year.
- A letter from a qualifying agency.
Other Documents You Will Need
Besides the documents mentioned above, add a softcopy or print copy of the following documents:
- Income statement from job.
- Federal letter of General Assistance.
- State or Federal Income returns.
- Divorce papers or child support documentation.
Top 5 (Providers) Free Government Phones In Florida
1. Assurance Wireless
Assurance wireless is a big name among all the Lifeline participants. Assurance Wireless once operated the company under Sprint Network. As now Sprint and T-mobile are combined, Assurance also takes advantage of their extensive network.
The wireless company also provides free monthly data, free monthly minutes, and unlimited text with a free government cell phone. There isn’t any billing, signing the contract, or additional fees.
Assurance has one of the best coverage in the lifeline participants, and it is available in more states than any other provider, including all the major cities. People can get a free phone with food stamps Florida.
But, the issue is that getting a free phone is complicated, and setting up can be a troll for some people.
What You Get With Assurance Wireless Free Phone
Besides a free cell phone, Assurance also offers other perks. And the advantages change from state to state. California residents get the most benefits. If you are eligible for the Lifeline program, you get –
- Free 4.5GB of data each month.
- Free unlimited texts each month.
- Free 1000 minutes each month.
Extras: Unlimited international calling and messaging.
You can purchase the unlimited calling feast of Assurance Wireless at only $5 or at $10 Mexico/Canada + International Text to get international texting to over 200 countries.
The $5 Mexico/Canada + International Text includes:
- Unlimited calling to Mexico. Both for landlines/ mobile phones.
- Unlimited calling to Canada. Both for landlines/ mobile phones.
- Unlimited international calling to over 200 countries.
The $10 Mexico/Canada + International Text includes:
- Unlimited calling to Mexico. Both for landlines/ mobile phones.
- Unlimited calling to Canada. Both for landlines/ mobile phones.
- Unlimited calling to a landline in over 70 countries.
- 200 mobile minutes to 50 countries.
- Unlimited international calling to over 200 countries
2. Access Wireless
Access Wireless is also a big boy in the Lifeline program. There also has a vast area of availability, which includes Florida.
Depending on your eligibility, they offer free government smartphones in Florida, data, minutes, and text free of cost.
With the free cell phone plans, there are also discounted add-ons if you need additional service. The California lifeline cell phone residents also benefit from their free service.
Without California, you get a free government phone, 250 minutes for talking, unlimited texting, and 3 G.B. of data in all states.
You can use the minutes for both local and nationwide long-distance calling. The other variety of plans makes your month go smoothly.
What You Get With the Access Wireless Free Phone
Access Wireless Offers –
- Up to unlimited text.
- Up to unlimited talk.
- Up to 15 GB of high-speed data.
Extras
- For an extra 250 minutes, get it for $5.
- After the monthly limit, 10 cents per minute talk.
Additional Data
- 100 MB data at $1 for thirty service days.
- 500 MB data at $3 for thirty service days.
- 1 G.B. data at $5 for thirty service days.
- 4 G.B. data at $20 for thirty service days.
Note: All the data here is high-speed data. So it won’t slow down during network congestion.
3. enTouch Wireless
With the combination of the two well-known companies, Boomerang, and Ready wireless, enTouch Wireless offers the most versatility among the lifeline participants.
Boomerang Wireless offers free phones for the lifeline program, and Ready Wireless is associated with extra add-ons you may require after the free net.
The company has a decent available service area; it already covers more than twenty states, and the number will go up pretty soon. Again, the residents of California get a terrific deal from the company. Other states get a moderate deal, including Florida.
But, what makes it more exciting is the enTouch Wireless paid services. Their plans vary a lot with the price. And also has some outstanding features, including local calling, nationwide long-distance calling, voicemail, 911 emergency services, etc.
What You Get With the enTouch Wireless Free Phone
The company has different plans for different parts of the country. With a free government phone in Florida, you get free data, texts, and calls –
- Unlimited talk (local and nationwide long-distance).
- Unlimited text.
- 3 G.B. of data per month.
Extras:
EnTouch has several Top-Up plans, pricing from as low as $1 to expensive $50.
- With an extra 1 dollar, you get an unlimited text option with the same 1000 minutes and 100 MB of data in Florida.
- The $5 plan includes 1200 minutes of talk (local and nationwide domestic calling), unlimited texting, and 250 MB.
- The $10 plan upgrade from the data limit to 1 GB; the rest is the same. And, starting with the $25 plan, the voice gets an unlimited and data-limited increase. But, the overall data remains expensive for free lifeline participants.
4. Q Link
Q Link is a big name in the government free phone business. If you even know little about the cell phone carriers, the probability of hearing the Q Link name is pretty high. The company is popular among the low-income residents of several states
One big reason for Qlink’s popularity is its service in a large area and serving more than ten million people.
And, their additional paid plans are more affordable compared to other providers. You also get free government cell phones in Florida and monthly free data, text, and calls.
What You Get With the Q Link Free Phone
The free plan of the Q Link wireless includes –
- Free Monthly minutes.
- Unlimited text nationwide.
- Free up to 4.5 GB of high-speed data.
Extras:
Only Minutes
- By paying $1, you can get unlimited minutes for one day, with nationwide coverage, voicemail, caller id, roaming & texting.
- For $5, get 500 Minutes for 30 days, featuring nationwide coverage, voicemail, caller id, roaming & texting.
- With $15 per month, enjoy unlimited minutes; it includes features like nationwide coverage, voicemail, caller id, roaming & texting.
Only Data
- Enjoy 100 MB of high-speed data at $1, which has 30 days.
- Enjoy 500 MB of high-speed data at $5, which has 30 days.
- Enjoy 1 G.B. of high-speed data at $10, which has 30 days.
- Enjoy 2 G.B. of high-speed data at $20, which has 30 days.
- Enjoy 5 G.B. of high-speed data at $35, which has 30 days.
- Enjoy unlimited high-speed data at $40, which has 30 days.
Bundles
The $2 Qlink bundle includes:
- 100 MB of Data.
- Unlimited minutes.
- Unlimited text.
- 30 service days.
The $5 Qlink bundle includes:
- 500 MB of Data.
- Unlimited minutes.
- Unlimited text.
- 30 service days.
The $10 Qlink bundle includes:
- 1 G.B. of Data.
- Unlimited minutes.
- Unlimited text.
- 30 service days.
The $20 Qlink bundle includes:
- 2 G.B. of Data.
- Unlimited minutes.
- Unlimited text.
- 30 service days.
The $25 Qlink bundle includes:
- 3 G.B. of Data.
- Unlimited minutes.
- Unlimited text.
- 30 service days.
There aren’t any activation fees, won’t credit checks, and no long-term contracts with Q Link.
5. Tag Mobile
Tag Mobile is one of the most prominent participants of Lifeline, providing government phones to low-income people and those who can’t afford them. And, for Florida people, they are one of the best options.
The company also offers free smartphones, free minutes, and text without a free phone. The offers are more significant when you are from California or Florida’s highest petroleum producer.
Tag Mobile uses the network of Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile wireless. So, with the network backing of three large carriers, you get broad coverage and a vast service area.
For the people of California, Tag mobile offers unlimited talk and text only plans and 1 G.B. of internet data. For other states, it’s 1000 minutes of talk and unlimited text.
What You Get With Tag Mobile Free Phone
- Unlimited monthly voice minutes (for a limited time).
- Unlimited monthly text.
- Up to 8 GB of High-speed data.
Extras:
Talk & Text Add-ons
- Premium: Pay monthly $4.95, and get 250 minutes of talk and unlimited texts.
- Platinum: Pay monthly $9.95, and get unlimited minutes of unlimited talk texts.
Data Add-ons
- Lite: Pay monthly $5.95, and get 500MB of 4G LTE high-speed data.
- Lite Plus: Pay monthly $11.95, and get 1 G.B. of 4G LTE high-speed data.
- Premium: Pay monthly $19.95, and get 3 G.B. of 4G LTE high-speed data.
Final Verdict
If you want to get free government phones by state Florida, you first need to be qualified and apply to any providers I mentioned before. Besides, there are also free cell phones for seniors in Florida.
But, keep in mind that you might need to wait for some time as the number of qualified people and applications has crossed the limit each provider can handle. Anyways, above are the best free government phone Florida providers.
